As the new year begins, let’s talk about what it means to be intentional; intentional means to do things on purpose. When you choose to be intentional about who you are and your self-care, you can reap the rewards of taking action and staying on track with a well-thought-out plan. Allow your self-care to always be with intentions of valuing, nourishing, and seeing the good in yourself.

 

There is a version of you that requires new habits, new intentions, and improvement. This version of yourself may be trying to come forward, but there are obstacles such as failed attempts, societal expectations, insecurities, and self-doubt. So to overcome these obstacles, this version of you needs self-discipline, consistency, belief, desire, and willingness to go for it. Self-care can include decisions to create a more peaceful rest by making a nighttime routine that allows you to sleep well, which allows you to show up at your best in the morning. Another intention could be to advocate for yourself at work for a promotion or higher pay. Also, you can advocate for yourself when you are at the doctor’s office and don’t feel like the staff is listening. In addition, self-care could mean improving upon a skill that you want to do better. Please don’t allow the old version of yourself to sabotage the new version of yourself. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you create your self-care goals.

 

1. What would you spend your time doing if success was the only option available?
2. What are three things that bring you joy?
3. What is one self-care activity you can put on your calendar and commit to for the next four weeks?
4. What is one thing that if you did this would make you feel accomplished?

 

When it comes to self-care intentions, use the tools around you: Calendar, Environment, Writing your intentions down, Consistent Habits

 

Put it on a calendar
Your calendar is a fantastic tool that can help you keep track of items to get done and also helps you not forget. So, allow this tool of your calendar or planner to work for you. The more consistently you use the more this tool works for you.  If it’s on your calendar, keep that commitment to yourself.
 
Create a welcoming environment.     
What makes you feel welcomed in a room or space? Create what makes you feel good in that space; make it your favorite room, your go-to room, a place of comfort and peace. If you create an environment for your self-care that allows you to thrive and feel happy, you’ll keep coming back for more.
 
Write down your intentions and how they can help accomplish those intentions and goals.
 Writing down things can be a powerful tool to help you achieve something. Our minds believe we are excellent at remembering things, but we sometimes forget things. Writing down your intentions can come in handy.
 
 
Build better habits for the new year through consistency.
If you want to reinvent yourself, one of the best ways is to build better habits. You can develop better habits by being consistent.  Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly, consistency is the key to getting more out of life. If you are consistently intentional by making self-care a priority, then it becomes a habit to prioritize your needs and desires and to take care of yourself. This can be a lifelong habit to love yourself enough to be a part of your calendar or to-do list. We often pour out into society, our jobs, our friendships, and our relationships, which can sometimes leave us empty. That is why it is essential to build a life of caring for yourself in such a fulfilling way that your cup doesn’t have to be empty, so you can thrive instead of surviving.
 

The holidays can be a marvelous time of the year, spending quality time with family and friends, relaxing, playing games, and indulging in delicious foods and drinks. It can also be a chance to reminisce on our memories and why we are grateful. This is an opportunity to treat ourselves with grace, love, and compassion using a practice we can take with us for life. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but our skincare and body care can be treated with grace and finding time each day to love yourself inside and out. If you take care of yourself, you can enjoy life and all its beauty and glory even more.

Stress can be overwhelming not just on the body but the skin too. Trying to find the ways and means to eliminate stress can be nearly impossible, but there is a way to balance managing your stress by using complementary products to help soothe and nourish your precious skin. Here are a few ways you can start making stress management a part of your daily habits:

Fall in love with prioritizing your needs by investing in yourself with self-care. Treat it like a love letter to yourself when making time for self-care because you deserve care, compassion, and consistency. The best way to do this is to start with you. Treat yourself to the most loving moments when you put on your products. Take your time, enjoy the moment, and practice positive self-talk about how amazing you are and how much you deserve the best in life. Making yourself a priority is always worth it.

Including a bath time as part of our self-care routine helps to achieve harmony between achieving our dreams and making sure we feel our optimal best with rest, fun, and self-care. 

This Refreshing Green smoothie is wonderful for breakfast or a pre or post workout snack.  The pineapple in this recipe makes this smoothie sweet and delicious!